Tomb of King Muryeong

In 1971 workers laying drainage among the Songsan-ri tombs at Gongju struck a brick vault nobody knew was there, and it turned out to be the tomb of King Muryeong of Baekje, who died in 523 - intact, unlooted, and carrying a stone tablet naming the occupant and the date, which is almost unheard of in Korean archaeology and made it the anchor for dating everything else of the period. Inside were over four thousand objects: gold crown ornaments in flame shapes, earrings, a silver bracelet inscribed with its maker's name and date, a bronze mirror, wooden coffin boards of Japanese umbrella pine, and a pair of stone guardian animals. The chamber is built of moulded brick in a Chinese-influenced vaulted form. The real tomb has been sealed since 1997 to stop deterioration; visitors see a full-scale replica chamber and the exhibition hall, with the finds themselves in the Gongju National Museum a short way off. It is part of the Baekje Historic Areas UNESCO listing.

The main sights

• The replica chamber - a full-scale reconstruction of the vault.
• The mound field - the Songsan-ri tombs on the slope.
• The exhibition hall - the discovery and what was in it.
• The finds - the gold and bronze, in the museum nearby.

When to go

April to June and September to November. Closed on Mondays. The museum and the tomb site together make a half day.

What to expect

The actual tomb is sealed and cannot be entered - what you walk through is a replica, which disappoints people who did not know. The original objects are in the museum, ticketed separately.

Nearby

Gongju National Museum holds the finds; Gongsanseong fortress is in the city and Buyeo is south.

Key facts